[Python-Dev] PEP 383: Non-decodable Bytes in System Character Interfaces (original) (raw)

Glenn Linderman v+python at g.nevcal.com
Tue Apr 28 03:24:24 CEST 2009

On approximately 4/27/2009 5:42 PM, came the following characters from the keyboard of Cameron Simpson:

I think that, almost independent of this PEP, there should be an os.fsencode() function that takes a byte string (as a POSIX OS call will take) and performs the same byte->string encoding that listdir() and friends are doing under the hood. And a partner os.fsdecode() for string->bytes. That will save a lot of wheel respoking and probably make it easier for people to think about this.

If a generally useful encoding scheme is invented for transforming file names within Python, it should definitely be made available for those cases where the application must transform between an encoded Python name and either a str or bytes interface presented by 3rd party software.

It should be available on all platforms, so that portable code can be written. Of course, if there are variations in the 3rd party software on the various platforms, there still may be a need for platform-specific code.

-- Glenn -- http://nevcal.com/

A protocol is complete when there is nothing left to remove. -- Stuart Cheshire, Apple Computer, regarding Zero Configuration Networking

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